After the time trial in Pisa, the Giro restarts with a definitely challenging Apennine stage: on the program is the Viareggio-Castelnovo ne' Monti, 186 km long with a total elevation gain of 3,850 meters.

This is a stage clearly divided into two parts: the first part until Castelnuovo Garfagnana is always slightly ascending, but without particular difficulties. The second part until the finish is dotted with challenging climbs and long descents always on mountain roads with numerous curves and ups and downs. The first climb encountered is San Pellegrino in Alpe (which ends about 1.5 km after the village) which presents with its slopes around 20% the hardest sector of the entire 2025 Giro. The other climbs are Toano and Pietra di Bismantova which leads directly to Castelnovo ne' Monti. The last 3 km are characterized by an uphill ramp and a subsequent short descent that lead into the town with some challenging curves. The last kilometer is all uphill. Final straight of 100 m on 6 m wide asphalt.

THE TERRITORY. It will be a complicated day awaiting the riders at the start of the eleventh stage of the Giro, with challenging climbs and non-trivial hilly sections.

Before departing, however, one enjoys the sweet life of Viareggio. It's pleasant to stroll along the seafront of the town observing the Liberty-style buildings and beach establishments that were once the scene of memorable parties. But the most original visit is to the Carnival Citadel, the largest thematic center in Italy dedicated to masks and the place of construction of extraordinary floats that have been the protagonists of carnival parades for 150 years. Also worth seeing are the Maritime Museum and the GAMC - Municipal Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art - with a permanent collection of over three thousand works including masterpieces by artists such as Monet, Gauguin, Picasso, Juan Miró, Marc Chagall and Max Ernst. Then reach the Darsena, where fantastic yachts are admired. No surprise: Viareggio is a global reference point for nautical engineering, with shipyards producing luxury yachts sought after worldwide.

The stage comes to life in Garfagnana, a cradle of environmental and artistic treasures, which invite stopping. First among all the medieval Devil's Bridge, which crosses the Serchio in Borgo a Mozzano, fascinates with its structure and the legends surrounding it. Then comes Barga, the town dear to poet Giovanni Pascoli where one stops on the grassy Arringo square, a fantastic viewpoint over the Apuan Alps, which also overlooks the Cathedral. Here is Castelnuovo Garfagnana, the most important center of the Serchio Valley, dominated by the Ariostesca Fortress, dating back to the 11th century and so named for having hosted the poet Ludovico Ariosto from 1552 to 1525. The strategic importance of the place is confirmed by the powerful Mont'Alfonso Fortress, located in a dominant position over the town and easily reachable on foot in a few dozen minutes along the Ariosto Trail. The Garfagnana IGP Spelt, a delicious food excellence of the area, is the inevitable companion of every gastronomic stop in the Serchio valley. The opportunity to taste it in its birthplace should not be wasted.

The climb to San Pellegrino in Alpe leads to the highest village in the Apennines, a historic crossroads for travelers and pilgrims who were welcomed in the Hospice, within whose walls an interesting Ethnographic Museum is now visited. Immediately after, one enters Emilia-Romagna, crossing the towns of Frassinoro and Piandelagotti, well known to sports enthusiasts for their infinite hiking possibilities. The medieval village of Montefiorino dazzles with its powerful fortress and seduces with the aromas of the Dolo and Dragone Valley Truffle.

The original shape of Pietra di Bismantova, which rises above the last hills of the Reggio Apennines, is the beacon indicating the road to the finish in Castelnovo de' Monti. Here, a visit to the dairies where mountain Parmigiano Reggiano is produced is mandatory, one of the best cheeses in the world: five are present in the Castelnovo area. No one can be left unsatisfied.